The Big Bang Theory finale focused on Sheldon and Amy's Nobel Prize while also tying up loose ends such as the repaired elevator, Penny and Leonard expecting a baby, Raj dating Sarah Geller, and Sheldon finally paying respect to his friends in his speech.
The Big Bang Theory concluded in a rather sentimental way, which was exactly what the show needed to do to appease its devoted audience of more than 12 years. The hour-long season finale devoted a lot of time to Sheldon and Amy's quest for the Nobel Prize in Physics for their research on Super Asymmetry, while the rest of the cast continued living their own lives and also encouraging the Coopers on their path to academic success.
Beginning in 2007, The Big Bang Theory followed a group of four (and eventually seven) friends from Pasadena, most of whom were considered social outcasts. However, they made up for their lack of social skills with their intelligence. The crew has experienced ups and downs over the years, both professionally and personally, but they have managed to stay together, partly because six of them have married each other.
Sheldon and Amy won the Nobel Prize
The episode was titled “Change Constant,” and finally, for their research on super-asymmetry, Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) and his wife, Amy Farrah Fowler (Mayim Bialik), are awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.
It's the ultimate objective of almost all scientists, and Sheldon specifically and repeatedly mentions it throughout the series, so it serves as a fantastic payoff for his character. The entire cast—Leonard, Penny, Bernadette, Howard, and Raj—accompanies Sheldon and Amy to the Nobel awards ceremony in Sweden, giving the show an excuse for a destination finale.
Repaired Elevator and Leonard re-arranges the place
One of The Big Bang Theory's most important plot lines was resolved following Sheldon's outburst about Amy's new appearance: as Leonard tried to reason with him in the hallway, Penny stepped out of the operating elevator and exclaimed, "Can you believe it? They fixed the elevator.” Because the elevator was in good working order, there was a funny scene where Penny was waiting for Sheldon when he attempted to escape the Hofstadters downstairs.
As a result of his newly found confidence, Leonard made the decision to rearrange everything in the apartment, something that had never been done before in the history of the show because Sheldon refused. And in his biggest act of defiance against his best friend's controlling nature, Leonard touched and moved the molecular model that Sheldon had forbidden him from touching. It turns out that there was a good reason to leave it alone because as soon as Leonard touched it, the tiny balls fell off.
The Nobel Prize Presentation in Stockholm
Two months later, in "The Stockholm Syndrome," the final episode of The Big Bang Theory, all are eager to travel to Stockholm for the Nobel Prize presentation. But, even with Stuart staying behind to keep an eye on the kids, Howard and Bernadette were unsurprisingly anxious about leaving Halley and Michael, who finally make their debut in the series. Raj also needed someone to watch Cinnamon while he was away; fortunately, Bert was available.
Penny and Leonard are expecting
Leonard and Penny were able to keep a big secret under wraps because of all the commotion surrounding the upcoming international trip: they are pregnant. They appear to have been conceived the evening of Penny and Sheldon's visit to the Cheesecake Factory. This entire episode was filled with small hints, but because everyone was preoccupied with their own concerns, they were easily missed.
Raj is dating Sarah
Raj's happy ending in the Big Bang Theory finale is not as dramatic as the rest of the story. After meeting Raj on the plane, Sheldon notices Sarah Michelle Gellar (the actress portraying herself) sitting next to him and exclaims, "Is that Buffy the Vampire Slayer?" during his speech. If a sequel is produced, it might be assumed that Raj marries the star.
Sheldon pays respect to friends
The entire crew was present when Amy and Sheldon received their awards, and they were all genuinely happy for the two. In her speech, Amy urged young girls to never give up on their dreams, which was a wonderful nod to her recent episode's storyline, in which she experienced intense pressure to receive the academic honor after learning that very few women have received it.
Sheldon saw the gang in the audience as soon as he stepped up to the podium, abandoning his prepared speech in favor of what he wanted to say from his heart. He began by thanking his loved ones and close friends. Sheldon's speech got more serious as he talked about how his friends had stuck by him all these years in spite of his eccentricities. Sheldon was able to articulate his sincere gratitude for his friends without making himself look foolish. Finally acknowledging Howard's time in space, he described Penny and Leonard as his "two dearest friends in the world" and recalled how they first met 12 years ago.
The group is seen eating Chinese food in the living room of Apartment 4A after the flashy ceremony.
FAQs
Q. Were the viewers of The Big Bang Theory satisfied with the finale?
A. The finale basically tied nearly all the loose ends and made sense in the end, so yeah, it can be said that the audience was satisfied by the finale.
Q. Is it true that the Wolowitzs and Hofstadters didn’t want to stay for the ceremony?
A. The Hofstadters were leaving clearly because of the behavior of Sheldon, who was not at all paying attention towards anything else but his Nobel. And the Wolowitzs were leaving out of concern for their children, who were in the care of Stuart. Both of them decide to stay after Sheldon talks to them.
Q. Was it a happy ending for Raj as well?
A. As six of the seven lead characters married each other, Raj was again as single as he was in the beginning. But, he met Sarah Michelle Geller during his flight and she can be seen with Raj, during Sheldon’s speech. Thus, it was a happy ending for Raj too.
